Originally Posted by
Mikefule
I have never believed in any benefit from pulling up on the pedals except for in the case of sudden hard acceleration.
Then you have never really sprinted up a steep, short- to moderate-length climb. Not accelerating, just maintaining speed as the grade increases. I don’t think there’s any way to do it without some kind of good foot retention. I guess a guy who can spin really fast could downshift and manage it, but most humans are better off upshifting, standing up, and putting into play several muscle groups, not just the same few that we use for cruising on level ground.